Field
The present invention relates to apparatuses, methods, systems, computer programs, computer program products and computer-readable media usable for conducting a mobility management control in a communication network.
Background Art
The following description of background art may include insights, discoveries, understandings or disclosures, or associations, together with disclosures not known to the relevant art prior, to at least some examples of embodiments of the present invention but provided by the invention. Some such contributions of the invention may be specifically pointed out below, whereas other such contributions of the invention will be apparent from their context.
The following meanings for the abbreviations used in this specification apply:
BS: base station
CPU: central processing unit
DL: downlink
E-UTRAN: evolved UMTS radio access network
eNB: evolved node B
LTE: Long Term Evolution
LTE-A: LTE Advanced
MBS: macro cell base station
MUE: macro cell user equipment
QoS: quality of service
SBS: small cell base station
UE: user equipment
UL: uplink
UMTS: universal mobile telecommunication system
In the last years, an increasing extension of communication networks, e.g. of wire based communication networks, such as the Integrated Services Digital Network (ISDN), DSL, or wireless communication networks, such as the cdma2000 (code division multiple access) system, cellular 3rd generation (3G) and fourth generation (4G) communication networks like the Universal Mobile Telecommunications System (UMTS), enhanced communication networks based e.g. on LTE or LTE-A, cellular 2nd generation (2G) communication networks like the Global System for Mobile communications (GSM), the General Packet Radio System (GPRS), the Enhanced Data Rates for Global Evolution (EDGE), or other wireless communication system, such as the Wireless Local Area Network (WLAN), Bluetooth or Worldwide Interoperability for Microwave Access (WiMAX), took place all over the world. Various organizations, such as the 3rd Generation Partnership Project (3GPP), Telecoms & Internet converged Services & Protocols for Advanced Networks (TISPAN), the International Telecommunication Union (ITU), 3rd Generation Partnership Project 2 (3GPP2), Internet Engineering Task Force (IETF), the IEEE (Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers), the WiMAX Forum and the like are working on standards for telecommunication network and access environments.
Generally, for properly establishing and handling a communication connection between terminal devices such as a user device or user equipment (UE) and another communication network element or user device, a database, a server, host etc., one or more intermediate network elements such as communication network control elements, such as access points, base stations, control nodes, support nodes or service nodes are involved which may belong to different communication network.
Basically, a communication network is typically divided into several cells controlled by a communication network control element like a BS, eNB, and the like, which can communicate with one or more UEs e.g. via an air interface. In case a UE connected to one serving BS leaves the coverage area (i.e. cell) of the BS and enters a coverage area (cell) of another (neighboring) BS, a communication connection switching of the UE, also referred to as handover, is conducted in the communication network for changing the connection of the UE to the new BS. A handover may be also conducted in case of other reasons, such as traffic offload, quality improvement, etc.
Besides a classical network environment where plural cells of the same type (e.g. plural macro cells) are arranged in a neighboring manner, new approaches are provided in order to enhance the performance of communication networks. One of these approaches is the implementation of a so-called heterogeneous network structure.
A heterogeneous network may comprise e.g. one or more main communication cells (i.e. macro cells) controlled by one or more communication network control elements, such as a macro cell base station (MBS), MeNB (in LTE or LTE-A networks), and one or more small cells having also an own communication network control element or access network element (also referred to as SBS, SeNB, access point AP etc.). Small cells are referred to, for example, as local area, small cell, pico cell, femto cell, etc. which may be controlled by a corresponding control network element. It is to be noted that the term “small cell” may be also used to describe a low-power radio access node or cell having a range of tens or some hundred meters.
A heterogeneous network structure provides, for example, a greater flexibility with regard to mobility management and an improved coverage area, wherein for example the possibility for offloading from a communication in the macro cell to a small cell is one implementation example. According to some examples, small cells are coupled, for example, to the communication network control element of the macro cell by a backhaul network offering a high capacity path for exchanging data, such as control or even user data, and the like.